Health

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that has been shown to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities. Many municipalities add fluoride to their drinking water—a process called community water fluoridation—as a public health measure to support dental health. In recent years, however, some have claimed that ingesting fluoride can harm children's IQ. Now researchers at the University of Minnesota have led a team that investigated the connection between fluoride in drinking water and children's IQ to see if these claims had merit. The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) is one of the most challenging viruses for doctors to treat. Even with effective antiretroviral therapy, immune cells infected with HIV can hide and lie inactive in certain areas of the body called latent reservoirs. If treatment is discontinued, these reservoirs may become active again, causing patients to face renewed challenges with symptoms of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Instead of applying ointment and attaching a bandage, a "smart patch that regulates treatment intensity on its own just by being attached" has appeared. A research team has developed a "self-regulating OLED wound healing patch" that combines light and drugs to pull up the wound recovery speed by about twice. It is expected to develop into an intelligent treatment technology where light regulates drug release according to the patient's condition in the future.

A Norwegian man has been effectively cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from his brother, doctors announced on Monday.

Scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, have discovered that specific proteins in urine can accurately predict the likelihood of dengue patients developing severe dengue. The findings could help doctors assess if a dengue patient can be sent home for recovery or if they require hospitalization for further treatment, prioritizing care for those who need it most as well as easing the burden on health care resources.

A study published April 10 in The Lancet reports that the anti-PD-1 immunotherapy pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) significantly improved overall survival in adults with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer when given as part of a chemotherapy/immunotherapy combination with or without a third drug, bevacizumab (brand names Avastin or Zirabev). The findings from an international clinical trial are reported in the new study led by co-first authors Emese Zsiros, MD, Ph.D., FACOG, Chair of Gynecologic Oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Nicoletta Colombo, MD, Ph.D., of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy.

A major multi-site clinical trial co-led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has shown that post-thrombotic syndrome—a common and often painful complication suffered by many people who have experienced blockages of major veins due to blood clots—can be effectively treated with a minimally invasive procedure.

Have you ever tasted a word, or seen colors while listening to music? If you have, you may be among the 1% to 4% of people who have a fascinating trait known as synesthesia.

Scientists investigating the naturally occurring immunopeptide PEPITEM have shown reductions in arthritic joint swelling to a degree comparable to the current standard of care, and reduce the inflammatory changes that cause joint damage.

A new study offers some of the strongest evidence yet that viewing art doesn't just move us emotionally—it changes how we think. Researchers at UC Santa Barbara found that people who viewed artistic film shorts showed measurable increases in creative thinking compared with those who watched entertaining, "non-art," videos.

A new study led by the University of Hertfordshire has highlighted the emotional toll faced by mothers of young children with Down syndrome who require tube feeding. The research, led by Dr. Laura K Hielscher, who completed her Ph.D. at Herts' Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography, found that mothers often felt excluded from decision-making when nasogastric (NG) tubes—soft plastic tubes inserted through a baby's nose and into the stomach—were first inserted to provide essential nutrition and medication.

The human body is often described as a marvel of "perfect design": elegant, efficient and finely tuned for its purpose. Yet, when we look closer, a rather different picture emerges.

A new study has found that combining the current medications for Alzheimer's disease with small molecules derived from micronutrients found in grapes, berries, peanuts and turmeric is a safer and more effective way to treat the disease. The work is published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

An experimental drug designed to silence a gene strongly linked to Parkinson's disease has shown encouraging effects in a first-in-human clinical trial, according to a study published in Nature Medicine. The drug, known as BIIB094, targets LRRK2, the most common genetic contributor to Parkinson's disease; variants in LRRK2 are known to increase the risk of developing the neurodegenerative disorder, which affects nearly 10 million people worldwide.

Your morning cup of coffee may be more than just a pick-me-up. It may also be a simple boost for your mental well-being. In a recent study, researchers from Fudan University, China, wanted to find out whether the amount of coffee a person drinks each day and the type they choose have any bearing on their risk of developing stress and mood disorders over time.